Shire



(Specimens.)

0. L. MERROW & A. E. SANBORNQ STOCKING AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME. No. 445,352.

Patented. Jan. 2'7, 1891.

Mimi Ir s WITNEfiSEE- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR L. MERRON AND ALBERT E. SANBORN, OF LACONIA, NE\V HAMP- SHIRE; SAID MERROlV ASSIGNOR AND SAID SANBORN ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO DENNIS OSIIEA AND JOHN OSHEA, JR, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

STOCKING AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 445,352, dated January 27', 1891.

Application filed May 9, 1890. Serial No. 351,127. (No specimens.

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, OSCAR L. MEERow and ALBERT E. SANBORN, both of Laconia, in the county of Belknap and State of New 5 Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stockings and Methods of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention has relation to knit fabrics generally in which a thickening-yarn is introduced at certain points, and particularly to stockings in which athickeningpr strengthening yarn is introduced at the knee-point.

It is the purpose of our invention to provide such improvements in knit fabrics of the class mentioned as will render the fabric at the point where it is thickened both fuller and more elastic than heretofore.

In the knitting of stockings wherein a strengthening or thickening yarn is employed at the knee-point, as heretofore accomplished, the same length of stitch has been maintained in the thickened part as in the other parts where a single yarn was employed. The re- 2 5 sult of this mode of procedure has been to make the fabric at the thickened point closer, harder, and less elastic than at the other points, when the opposite resulti. e., a more elastic and fuller fabric-is desirable at the 0 thickened or strengthened points.

Our invention consists of an improvement in the art of manufacturing webs for stockings, &c., which consists in knitting the body fabric wit-h a regular stitch of any suitable 5 length, introducing a thickening or strengthening yarn at desired points for a portion only of the way there-around, and lengthening the stitch at the points where the additional yarn is introduced.

Our invention also consists of a knit web resulting from the practice of the mode of knitting hereinbefore mentioned.

The invention will first be described in con= nection with the annexed drawings, forming 5 a part of this specification, and then be pointed out in the claims appended to the general description.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of a stockingknit in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of the web of the stocking on an exaggerated scale, look ing upon the wrong side of the fabric.

Having reference to Fig. 1, a. designates the leg of the stocking above theknee. b is the knee portion. 0 is the lower leg portion, and (Z is the foot portion. In knitting the knee portionthat is, the front part of the tubular web from the line (2 to the line fau additional yarn is introduced, called the thickening-yarn, in order to re-enforce or strengthen the stocking at the point where the greatest strain and wear occurs. The thickening-yarn may be introduced on the wale g and run around in front of the knee and be thrown out on a Wale opposite to the wale g of the web. Here- 6 5 to'fore in knitting a thickened knee the length of the stitch was kept the same in the thickened as in the sing1e-thread parts, the result of which procedure was to make the thickened portion harder and less elastic than the sin gle-th read portions, while the contrary has been desirable. That is, it has been desirable to have the thickened knee portion made more elastic and fuller than the other parts, in order to make room for the knee and provide for the undue strain that is brought upon this part in bending the knee.

In Fig. 2 we have given an illustration of the manner in which we overcome the objections mentioned and meet the ends desired. it dies ignates the regular knitting-yarn, which runs through the entire web. 1' is the thickening yarn or thread and runs through the portion of the web comprised in the wales 1, 2, 3, 4,

5, and 6. In the portion of the web last mentioned the stitches are made perceptibly longer than in the single-yarn portion comprised within the wales '7, S, and 9. \Vhile this lengthening of the stitch in the thickened or re-enforced part does not render the fabric 0 any more open than in thesingle-thread parts,

it makes the web at the said point fuller and more elastic than at the other points. It is to be noted that we knit the web in regular or ordinary stitch and lengthen the stitch on the 5 wale where the thickening-yarn is brought into action andshorten it where the said yarn is thrown out, so that the lengthened stitch does not extend entirely through or around the Web being knit.

Having thus explained the nature of our improvements and described a Way of carrying out the same, We declare that What we claim as new is 1. The improvement in the art of knitting tubular Webs for stockings, &c., which consists in knitting" the body of the web in a regular stitch of any suitable length, introducing an additional yarn at desired points for a portion of the Way around the Web, and lengthening the stitch at the points where the additional yarn is introduced, as set forth.

2. A tubular knit fabric for stockings, the, having the main or body portion knit in a regular stitch of any suitable length and having an additional yarn knit into the web for a portion only of the Way therearound, the stitch at the points containing the additional yarn being of greater length than in the body portion, as set forth.

A tubular knit fabric for stockings, having' the main or body portion knit in a regular stitch of any suit-able length and having an additional yarn knit into the Web at the knee-point for a portion only of the distance therearound, the stitch at theknee-point containing the additional yarn being of greater length than in the body portion, as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 25th day of April, A. D. 1890.

OSCAR L. MERROW. ALBERT E. SANBORN.

Witnesses:

S. S. J EWETT, N A. PLUMMER. 

